Mets: Best options to replace Robinson Cano at second base

Jeff McNeil

When he was originally called up to the big leagues in 2018, Jeff McNeil primarily played at Second Base for New York. A former All-Star and arguably the team’s best hitter, McNeil would be a great option to fill Cano’s spot.

Once Cano was traded for the following offseason, McNeil was relocated to the corner outfield positions, as well as spending time at third base for the club.

For his rookie season, McNeil appeared in 54 games at second base for New York, scoring a .991 fielding percentage while committing only 2 errors. Overall for his 3 year career, McNeil as appeared in a grand total of 103 games at second base, his fielding percentage has been .989.

Needless to say, McNeil is a very solid glove at the position, and along with his consistent bat at the top of the order, he could be one of the top second basemen in the league.

As stated, McNeil has primarily been penciled into the Mets lineup as the starting left fielder in recent years, so his position change would open up a spot there.

This could easily be filled by slotting in Dominic Smith into the position, or moving Brandon Nimmo to left field and signing a better defensive center fielder to fill out the line up, such as Starling Marte, George Springer, or Joc Pederson.

Regardless of how the outfield shapes out, Jeff McNeil is an inhouse option who could easily man second base for New York in 2021, as he has done so efficiently in the past.

Amed Rosario

Heading into the 2021 season, one of the stories Mets fans were expecting to follow was the battle for the starting Shortstop position between incumbent Amed Rosario and Andres Gimenez.

One of the bright spots of the 2020 season was Gimenez’s call up to the big leagues, and his strong showings as a hitter, and more importantly, as a fielder. At the plate, Andres hit .263 with a .333 OBP, hitting 3 homeruns and 12 RBI, a solid showing in a rookie campaign.

In addition to that, Gimenez has long been touted as a very skilled defensive prospect, and he had many chances to show off his sure glove. While he is naturally a shortstop, he also logged some innings at both second and third base. Rosario on the other hand, does not have the same defensive poise as Gimenez.

Rosario is a former top prospect and showed what a great hitter he can be during the 2019 season, where he batted .287 on the year. The Mets definitely want him in the line up going forward, but due to his issues defensively, they have explored a position change for him in the past, such as trying in out in Left Field.

However, a new option presents itself in Cano’s absence and provides the Mets with a unique opportunity for an experiment with the two. The Mets could give Rosario a try out at Second Base, while Gimenez can man shortstop, as he is the more capable of the two defensively.

This option provides the Mets the flexibility to get both men consistent at-bats in the line up, while playing to each’s defensive strengths.

The move to second for Rosario could be a smart move for him. For most infielders, Second Base is a more manageable position than compared to Shortstop. Generally speaking, it requires less range for the fielder and makes easier throw to the first baseman. Given Rosario’s limitations at Shortstop, this move could work out well for him.

Doing this would mean they wouldn’t need to remove Jeff McNeil from the outfield and would get two of their top young players in the lineup for consistent at-bats. It is definitely an option the Mets would be wise to consider.

Trade/Free Agent

While the Mets have a few good options in house to replace Cano at second base in the forms of McNeil, Rosario and Gimenez, they’re limited beyond that in terms of depth at the position.

Due to the lack of a minor league season in 2020, it is very doubtful the Mets call up a rookie prospect to help fill the void at the starting position. If they don’t want to go with any of the 3 previously mentioned players to replace Cano, they will have to either pursue a trade or sign a Free Agent.

Rumors are circulating that the Mets could pursue SS Francisco Lindor, and that trade could also prompt a move to Second Base for Rosario, however, Lindor comes with a hefty price tag for the trade, and simply signing one from Free Agency may be the more attractive option.

The Mets could go for a Blue Chip option, such as former All-Star DJ LeMahieu, seeing as Cano’s suspension has taken a lot of money off the books for 2021, or they could sign a less expensive player to a 1-2 year deal to fill the void until Cano’s likely return in 2022.

As for option in that range, notable players such as Dee Gordon, Johnathan Villar and Tommy LaStella each fit the bill, and former Mets Adeiny Hechavarria, Joe Panik, or Neil Walker could also be worth a look.

Regardless of which direction the Mets choose to take in terms of replacing Cano, the simple point is that they have many options, and several in house ones to choose from.

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Let’s just hope that under the new leadership of Steve Cohen, whoever the Mets do decide to fill the spot with, this second baseman works out better than Jed Lowrie’s stint at second base.